2 Corinthians 10

1 But I myself, Paul, entreat you by the meekness and gentleness of the Christ, who, as to appearance, [when present] [am] mean among you, but absent am bold towards you;

Now I Paul, myself, entreat you by the humility and gentleness of Messiah, I who in your presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.

2 but I beseech that present I may not be bold with the confidence with which I think to be daring towards some who think of us as walking according to flesh.

Yes, I beg you that I may not, when present, show courage with the confidence with which I intend to be bold against some, who consider us to be walking according to the flesh.

3 For walking in flesh, we do not war according to flesh.

For though we walk in the flesh, we don’t wage war according to the flesh;

4 For the arms of our warfare [are] not fleshly, but powerful according to God to [the] overthrow of strongholds;

for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but mighty before God to the throwing down of strongholds,

5 overthrowing reasonings and every high thing that lifts itself up against the knowledge of God, and leading captive every thought into the obedience of the Christ;

throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Messiah,

6 and having in readiness to avenge all disobedience when your obedience shall have been fulfilled.

and being in readiness to avenge all disobedience when your obedience is made full.

7 Do ye look at what concerns appearance? If any one has confidence in himself that he is of Christ, let him think this again in himself, that even as he [is] of Christ, so also [are] we.

Do you look at things only as they appear in front of your face? If anyone trusts in himself that he is Messiah’s, let him consider this again with himself, that even as he is Messiah’s, so we also are Messiah’s.

8 For and if I should boast even somewhat more abundantly of our authority, which the Lord has given [to us] for building up and not for your overthrowing, I shall not be put to shame;

For even if I boast somewhat abundantly concerning our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for casting you down, I will not be ashamed,

9 that I may not seem as if I was frightening you by letters:

that I may not seem as if I desire to terrify you by my letters.

10 because his letters, he says, [are] weighty and strong, but his presence in the body weak, and his speech naught.

For, “His letters”, they say, “are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech is despised.”

11 Let such a one think this, that such as we are in word by letters [when] absent, such also present in deed.

Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when we are absent, such are we also in deed when we are present.

12 For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves; but these, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are not intelligent.

For we are not bold to number or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves. But they themselves, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves with themselves, are without understanding.

13 Now we will not boast out of measure, but according to the measure of the rule which the God of measure has apportioned to us, to reach to you also.

But we will not boast beyond proper limits, but within the boundaries with which God appointed to us, which reach even to you.

14 For we do not, as not reaching to you, overstretch ourselves, (for we have come to you also in the glad tidings of the Christ; )

For we don’t stretch ourselves too much, as though we didn’t reach to you. For we came even as far as to you with the Good News of Messiah,

15 not boasting out of measure in other people's labours, but having hope, your faith increasing, to be enlarged amongst you, according to our rule, yet more abundantly

not boasting beyond proper limits in other men’s labors, but having hope that as your faith grows, we will be abundantly enlarged by you in our sphere of influence,

16 to announce the glad tidings to that [which is] beyond you, not to be boasting in another's rule of things made ready to hand.

so as to proclaim the Good News even to the parts beyond you, not to boast in what someone else has already done.

17 But he that boasts, let him boast in the Lord.

But “he who boasts, let him boast in the Lord.”

18 For not he that commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.

For it isn’t he who commends himself who is approved, but whom the Lord commends.